Investigation of radiation and structural properties of bismuth-barium-borosilicate glass system for design as a gamma ray shielding materials

In this research, high pressure sodium lamp glass (HPSg) was recycled and employed instead of borosilicate glass systems. The glass samples were prepared in (75-x) HPSg-(20) Na2O-5 Bi2O3 - (x) BaO by adding barium oxide (where x is 0,5,10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 mol%) through the melt-quenching method. After that, the glass samples were cut in 1x1 square inch and polished by different grades of silicon carbide. Next, structural properties of the glass samples were studied by way of several methods such as ultrasonic techniques, UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy. For ultrasonic techniques, we use ultrasonic velocities such as longitudinal velocity and shear velocity which were measured by using the pulse-echo technique at 4 MHz frequency and at room temperature. The results found that longitudinal and shear velocity decreased when adding barium oxide to the glass system. These results indicate that barium ions may destroy the glass structure leading to a decrease in longitudinal and shear velocity. Then, absorption of visible light and ultraviolet was studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy and recorded in a wavelength range of 200-1100 nm. We found that the glass samples absorbed less visible light and ultraviolet in the range of 400 nm. This result shows that the glass samples are transparent. In addition, we can calculate optical properties from the energy band gap and found that the energy band gap is 2.6-2.7 eV. Adding barium ions in the glass system leads to increase in electric condition and metallization. FTIR spectroscopy was measured in wave number range 400-2000 cm-1. The results found that the glass network is absorbing and vibrating in the various modes of the functional group of BO3 and BO4 for which the quantity of absorption is related to the structure of glass and confirms the results from ultrasonic techniques. For radiation properties, the linear attenuation coefficient was measured by using a narrow beam transmission method at the energy of isotope source of 622 keV, 1174 keV, and 1332 keV. Then, we calculated the mass attenuation coefficient, mfp, and HVL. The results found that the glass samples have a value of HVL at 622 keV, 1174 keV, and 1332 keV better than ordinary concrete, barite concrete, serpentinite concrete, and chromite concrete. As we determined radiation properties from the Fluka and WinXCom program, we found that the theoretical value and experimental data are in solid agreement and confirm the experiment’s results.